Island



A. T. GROSS.

STYLOGRAPHIO PEN.

Patented July 12,1881.-

Mlfnesses.

Mug I M r. Washinglan. n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO T. CROSS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

STYLOGRAPHIC PEN.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 244,194, dated July 12, -1881.

Application filed September 15, 1879.

To all tohom it may concern: Be it-known that I, ALONZO T. ORoss, of the city and county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented an Improvement in Stylographic Fountain-Pens, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in providing an airpassage within the solid side or wall of the ink-reservoir, (which is preferablymade of hard rubber, vulcanite, celluloid, or other non-corrosive .material,) in order to properly conduct the air from the vent valve or cup-at the upper end of the holder or reservoir, to a point near the lower end of the ink-chamber.

My invention also consists in improved means for connecting the spindle to its holder,

in order to secure elasticity and flexibility within proper limits. 7 v

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a stylegraphic fountain-pen, the tubular reservoir of which is made with an air-passage passing through the solid homogeneous material of which the tube is made. Fig. 2 is a cross-section, taken in the line w m. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view, showing the connecting coupling, spindle-holder, spindle, and ink-delivering tubular point. Fig.4is an end view of the grooved or fluted iridium tip of the spindle. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of the writingspindle. Fig. 6is an enlarged side view of the spiral spring for operating the spindle. Fig. 7 is a view of the loose washer for covering the end of the spindle-holder, and thus forming a base for the downward action of the spring.

In the drawings, A is a tubular reservoir, preferably made of hard rubber, vulcanite, celluloid, or similar non-corrosive material, and provided with an air-passage, a, formed in the hard-rubber case by means of a small wire and a grooved central metal core. The small wire, of suitable size to form the bore of the air-passage, is first wound with a sheet of unvulcanized rubber, and pressed down into the groove of the large core, and an outer layer of similar sheet-rubber wound over all. This, when vulcanized, will form a perfectly homogeneous solid wall, having upon the withdrawal of the cores a passage, a, for the air extending from one end of the tube to the other. It is desirable, however, to hold the small wire slightly back at the upper end, so that when withdrawn after vulcanization the upper end of the tube may be left closed and solid, to be afterward drilled through upon the prior com pletion of the screw-thread B in process of manufacture. Other methods of forming the passage a through the solid "Wall of the tube may be employed, as by drilling; butthe method above described of forming. the passage by means of awire mandrelinclosed in the plastic material previous to vulcanization is deemed preferable to all others.

The point-section 0, provided at its lower end with the pointed ink-delivering tube D, is attached to the reservoir A by means of the tubularcouplin gE, which maybe screw-threaded, as shown in the drawings, or may be made to snugly fit the bore of the reservoir A and pointsection 0, so as to hold them t pgether by means ofthe resulting friction. To the upper end of the writing-spindle F is attached a cylinder, G, provided with a fixed collar, H, and at a point near the upper end of the cylinder G is made a hole, g, in order to receive a pin, I, made considerably smaller than the hole 9, so as to allowa slight endwise movement to the spindle when secured to the spindle-holder J.

Upon the exterior of the cylinder G is loosely placed the spring K, made of gold alloy, in order to suitably resist the corrosive action of the ink, and above the spring is placed the loose washer L, which, when secured to the spindle-holder J,rests against the end of the holder, being held thereto by the pressure of the spring K. The cylinder G is made of less size than the bore of the spindle-holder, in order to allow a slight sidewise movement to the spindle, to prevent danger of cramping in the fine bore of the tube D from inaccuracies of construction or adjustment.

The spindle-holder J is frictionally held in the bore of the coupling E, and may be readily moved up and down, as desired, in order to make the tip M of the spindle slightly protrude from the end of the tube D, so that in case the end of the tube becomes worn, by longcontinued use, the spindle may be readjusted in order to compensate for the wear.

A screw-thread may, if preferred, be out upon the surface of the spindle-holder J and in the bore of the coupling E, for the purpose of more convenient adjustment; but mere frictional contact is deemed sufficient for all practical purposes.

The spindle-holder J is made tubular, and is provided with an orifice, j, for the passage of ink from the ink-chamber N to the lower chamber, O; or the ink may pass out of the lower end of the tubular holder under the loose washer L.

The spindle F is provided with an iridium tip, M, joined thereto by soldering, or by the process known as sweating, and grooved or fluted uponits edge, as shown in Fig. 4, whereby the ink will be conveyed by attraction to the extreme end of the tip M, beyond the end of I the tube D, in order that a full and uniform supply of ink may be secured in writing.

The chamber N is to be filled with ink by holding the pen-point upward and unscrewing the coupling E and its attached point-section G from the reservoir A. The ink-chamber may i then be filled from any source of supply. The coupling E and its attached point-section O is then screwed in place,the pen placed in an upright position for writing, and the vent-cap P slightly raised from its seat by unscrewing, so as to allow air to enter the passage a and rise from thelower end of the passage to the vacuum created in the upper end of the chamber N by the descent of the ink through the tubular spindle-holder J and orifice j to the chamber 0, and thence to the writing-point. The endof the spindle F projects slightlyfrom the end of the tube D, so that in the act of writing a slight endwise movement will be imparted to the spindle within the' tube, tending to draw the ink down from the chamber 0 and prevent the obstruction of the tube D by a dry deposit of ink when the pen is used intermittently. The limit of the movement of the spindle is controlled by the relative sizes of the hole 9 and the pin I, and the location of the movement with relation to the position of the point of the tube D isgoverned by the adjustable position of the spindle-holder J. The point of the spindle at its highest position should be held slightly in advance of the end of the tube, in order to prevent wear thereto and to prevent a scratchy action upon the paper, caused by the sharp inneredge of the aperture of the tube D.

I am aware that, broadly, a longitudinalduct in the walls of the ink-reservoir is not new; but this invention consists in making the duct in the solid walls of the ink-chamber.

Ilhlaim as my invention 1. In a stylographic fountain-pen,the holder or reservoir A, provided with an air-duct, a, formed in its solid side or wall, substantially as described, and extending longitudinally from the'vent-valve or cap at the upper end of' the holder or reservoir to a point near the lower end of the ink-chamber. 1

2. In a stylographic fountain-pen, the combination of the spindle-holder J, holding-pin 1, cylinder G, provided with a hole, 9, collar-H, spring K, and washer L.

ALONZO T. GROSS.

Witnesses:

HARMON S. BABCOGK, JOSEPH J. SCHOLFIELD. 

